Settle Wildflowers - Day 43 - Blue 9 - Indigo: Common Milkwort, Ground Ivy and Aquilegia

1. Common Milkwort: Polygala vulgaris
I found this in Lord's Pasture, Settle, which is on limestone. It does grow on other limestone pasture slopes

Note all its leaves are long and they are grow alternately along the stem. (Unlike Heath Milkwort which has some leaves opposite and grows on heath-land, and the very rare Bitter Milkwort which has a rosette of spoon shaped leaves)

White-flowered and magenta-flowered forms of this plant exist, but I haven't found any within Settle-walk area this year.




3. Ground Ivy. Glechoma hederacea

This grows at the base of hedges. The crushed leaves have a nice smell.

Here is a sketch by Doris Cairns which is a bit clearer than my photograph

3. Columbine - Aquilegia vulgaris

The rare wild Columbine does grow wild near Settle, but the best place I know is 4.5 miles away from Settle, 3.5 miles away from home... It is frustrating because I just don't have time to walk there..

Also now that restrictions on travel have been lifted the temptation to visit other places for various reasons means that less time is available for local walks.

So I present a picture a a garden escape which I found in 20 May next to the Ribble south of Settle.

There is lots of this in people's gardens and occasionally growing as an escape in Settle. It is also known as Pentecost flower.

The true wild one is much bluer. I may yet find one near Settle - we have the right habitat - woodland and cliffs limestone.

See list of Wildflowers Lockdown walks from Settle and nearby Langcliffe. following the colours of the rainbow. 
  
Tomorrow: Day 44  - Blue 10 - Violet - Haymeadow Plants: Wood Crane's-bill, Eyebright and Changing Forget-me-not (repeated) (well that's what I plan to cover)